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Nehemiah Sent to Judah

2In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served to him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. ²So the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be sadness of the heart.’ Then I was very much afraid. ³I said to the king, ‘May the king live for ever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my ancestors’ graves, lies waste, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’ ⁴Then the king said to me, ‘What do you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. ⁵Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, so that I may rebuild it.’ ⁶The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), ‘How long will you be gone, and when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. ⁷Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; ⁸and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.’ And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me.

9 Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent officers of the army and cavalry with me. ¹⁰When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.

Nehemiah’s Inspection of the Walls

11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days. ¹²Then I got up during the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the animal I rode. ¹³I went out by night by the Valley Gate past the Dragon’s Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. ¹⁴Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool; but there was no place for the animal I was riding to continue. ¹⁵So I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. ¹⁶The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest that were to do the work.

Decision to Restore the Walls

17 Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burnt. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer suffer disgrace.’ ¹⁸I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. Then they said, ‘Let us start building!’ So they committed themselves to the common good. ¹⁹But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they mocked and ridiculed us, saying, ‘What is this that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?’ ²⁰Then I replied to them, ‘The God of heaven is the one who will give us success, and we his servants are going to start building; but you have no share or claim or historic right in Jerusalem.’

Psalm 134

1  Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, ♦︎
   you that by night stand in the house of the Lord.
2  Lift up your hands towards the sanctuary ♦︎
   and bless the Lord.
3  The Lord who made heaven and earth ♦︎
   give you blessing out of Zion.

Psalm 135

1  Alleluia.
      Praise the name of the Lord; ♦︎
   give praise, you servants of the Lord,
2  You that stand in the house of the Lord, ♦︎
   in the courts of the house of our God.
3  Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; ♦︎
   make music to his name, for it is lovely.
4  For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself ♦︎
   and Israel for his own possession.
5  For I know that the Lord is great ♦︎
   and that our Lord is above all gods.
6  The Lord does whatever he pleases
      in heaven and on earth, ♦︎
   in the seas and in all the deeps.
7  He brings up the clouds from the ends of the earth; ♦︎
   he makes lightning with the rain
      and brings the winds out of his treasuries.
8  He smote the firstborn of Egypt, ♦︎
   the firstborn of man and beast.
9  He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, ♦︎
   upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10  He smote many nations ♦︎
   and slew mighty kings:
11  Sihon, king of the Amorites,
      and Og, the king of Bashan, ♦︎
   and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
12  He gave their land as a heritage, ♦︎
   a heritage for Israel his people.
13  Your name, O Lord, endures for ever ♦︎
   and shall be remembered through all generations.
14  For the Lord will vindicate his people ♦︎
   and have compassion on his servants.
15  The idols of the nations are but silver and gold, ♦︎
   the work of human hands.
16  They have mouths, but cannot speak; ♦︎
   eyes have they, but cannot see;
17  They have ears, but cannot hear; ♦︎
   neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18  Those who make them shall become like them, ♦︎
   and so will all who put their trust in them.
19  Bless the Lord, O house of Israel; ♦︎
   O house of Aaron, bless the Lord.
20  Bless the Lord, O house of Levi; ♦︎
   you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
21  Blessed be the Lord from Zion, ♦︎
   who dwells in Jerusalem.
      Alleluia.

True Disciples

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ ³³They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, “You will be made free”?’

48 The Jews answered him, ‘Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ ⁴⁹Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; but I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. ⁵⁰Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge. ⁵¹Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.’ ⁵²The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.” ⁵³Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?’ ⁵⁴Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, “He is our God”, ⁵⁵though you do not know him. But I know him; if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. ⁵⁶Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.’ ⁵⁷Then the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’^{* 58}Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’ ⁵⁹So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.